Southern Girl Punch

Tennessee Williams might be jealous not to own the rights to Trisha Bowler’s Southern Gothic beginning. Her mother, an Arkansas beauty of modest means, marries the progeny of a landed southern family. The new wife is soon pregnant. America enters WWII and he is drafted. The soldier lives, but his injuries kept him confined to VA care until his death in 1992.

Left with sole responsibility for Trisha, mother and daughter drove west to the land of opportunity: California. Her mom became a successful businessperson while Trisha boarded at the Parnell Preparatory School for Girls in Whittier.

Reaching high school hungry for a “normal” family life, Trisha got her mom to agree to live together full time and send her to public school. During her tenure at John Robert Powers School of Modeling, the tall beauty caught the eye of Revlon- who made her a red head. She also caught the eye of John Bowler Jr., who transferred from private school to Whittier High to be closer to Trisha.

Wed on Ground Hogs Day 1963, Trisha began building her grand dream. “All I ever wanted was to be a wife and mother. Now with four grown sons, “There were years when (with mother living here) I cooked for seven… I loved that.”

Now you can take a girl out of the south, but you cannot take the south out of the girl. True to her southern heritage (and her accent), the holidays are a joyful season in the Bowler household. As she notes, “Family comes home…”

One specialty is Trisha’s famous Southern Comfort Punch: taste once, remember always tradition.

SOUTHERN COMFORT PUNCH

Ahead of time- Arrange designated driver for any guests who might show up without one. Then-

• Maraschino Cherries- Freeze a bottle full in a ring shaped mold filled with water.
• Lemon and lime – Some time before serving - slice and remove seeds from enough citrus to go around your serving bowl. Set aside in refrigerator.

When guests are about to arrive, pour these in a punchbowl:

• 1/2 tall bottle Southern Comfort
• 1-12 oz can frozen orange juice
• ½- 12 oz can frozen pink lemonade
• 1-2 liter bottle 7Up
• 1-tbslp sugar (or equivalent substitute)

Stir the punch to blend. Unmold the ice ring to set float on top of punch.

Decorate the shoreline between the island of ice and the bowl by floating the citrus rings. Says council member Carol Herrera, this is “Absolutely delicious. Have one and you’ll go back for more.”

Happy New Year Everyone!